Comparative Analysis of the Forms of Alienation in The Stranger by Albert Camus and Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

Abstract

The concept of alienation has generated considerable interest across various fields of the human sciences and has been studied in diverse religious, political, social, and literary contexts, with meanings that vary according to the framework of analysis. Studies indicate that alienation encompasses social dimensions that express its essence, and that it represents an existential phenomenon accompanying human beings throughout their lives, manifesting itself in their questioning of life, death, the hereafter, and the nature of existence.
Alienation may take the form of self-isolation, social solitude, the renunciation of one’s rights, or the feeling of absurdity toward the phenomena of the world—reflecting the conflict between the individual and society, or between the self and the surrounding reality.
The study of The Stranger by Albert Camus and Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih reveals the diversity of representations of alienation, both at the individual and social levels, within distinct cultural contexts. In Camus’s novel, existential and social alienation is embodied in the main character, who experiences detachment from society and others, marked by indifference toward dominant values and traditions. This detachment reflects a psychological and intellectual estrangement arising from the absurdity of life.
In Tayeb Salih’s novel, alienation manifests itself in the protagonist’s conflict with his cultural and social identity, as well as in the tension between belonging and estrangement in a dual-cultural environment. This complex form of alienation illustrates the rift between the individual, society, and history.
 
This study aims to analyze the social and existential dimensions of alienation in both novels, to conduct an in-depth comparison to understand the multiple forms of estrangement, and to assess the similarities and differences in the portrayal of psychological and social isolation. Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the literary role in unveiling the individual’s inner conflicts and to offer a critical perspective on his relationship with society and culture.